Pentium 3550M vs Core i5-460M

CPU

GPU

Pentium 3550M

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2013

Core i5-460M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 3550M

2 / 2

1,327

+0.5%

1,321

0.0%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Pentium 3550M is positioned at rank 293 and the Core i5-460M is on rank 7, so the Core i5-460M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 3550M

#83

Core i7-13700HX

MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A

100%

#86

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

99%

#281

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

442%

#282

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

436%

#283

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

400%

#284

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

398%

#285

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

395%

#287

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

381%

#288

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

365%

#289

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

365%

#290

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

355%

#293

Pentium 3550M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-460M

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

111%

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

109%

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

100%

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

100%

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

99%

#10

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

96%

#11

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

92%

#12

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

92%

#13

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

89%

#17

Core i3-350M

MSRP: $130|Avg: $10

82%

#18

Atom x5-E8000

MSRP: $18|Avg: N/A

81%

#19

Core 2 Duo T5900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

80%

#22

Core i3-3130M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

72%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i5-460M leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 3550M is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.5% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium 3550M	Core i5-460M
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($129)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium 3550M	Core i5-460M
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($129)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Pentium 3550M Benchmark Check

Core i5-460M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 3550M and Core i5-460M

Pentium 3550M

The Pentium 3550M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,327 points. Launch price was $134.

Core i5-460M

The Core i5-460M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,321 points. Launch price was $80.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 3550M packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i5-460M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M versus 2.8 GHz on the Core i5-460M — a 19.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-460M (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.53 GHz). The Pentium 3550M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-460M uses Arrandale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 3550M scores 1,327 against the Core i5-460M's 1,321 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium 3550M. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3550M vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-460M.

Feature	Pentium 3550M	Core i5-460M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.8 GHz+22%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.53 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	3 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Arrandale (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,327	1,321
Geekbench 6 Single	—	343

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 3550M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-460M uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 3550M	Core i5-460M
Socket	PGA946	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	8
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 3550M) / true (Core i5-460M). The Core i5-460M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)), while the Pentium 3550M requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-460M rivals AMD Turion II M620.